At the University of Birmingham’s recent research conference, experts donned their lab coats and set their sights on the trippy topic of clinical psychedelics in the realms of society and law. The psychedelic posse has high hopes for treating mental disorders like PTSD and depression, but the party-pooper regulatory bodies in Europe, the USA, and Canada aren’t ready to hand out hallucinogenic hall passes just yet. The FDA’s recent “nope” to psychedelics has everyone wondering if they’ve been swept up in more hype than a 1960s flower power festival.
A motley crew of academics from every corner of the campus gathered to hash out the legal tangles, public perceptions, and the challenges of getting psychedelics a seat at the mainstream medicine table. The UK still brands these substances as having “no inherent medical value,” making research as tricky as deciphering a psychedelic album cover.
Research results that seem too rosy get the stink eye, affecting how the public sees these mind-bending substances. The lack of regulation makes sourcing them akin to a scavenger hunt, and the intense experiences they produce make traditional double-blind trials look like a riddle wrapped in an enigma, dipped in tie-dye.
With the FDA turning up its nose, pharma companies are dreaming up new ideas, like neuroplastogens, that pack a punch without the psychedelic side effects. There’s chatter about getting more diverse voices in on the decision-making, tipping hats to Indigenous knowledge of psychedelics. The bias spotlight shines on “psychedelic exceptionalism,” pointing out that research isn’t as colorful as it should be.
Collaboration is the name of the game, and despite the uncertainties, there’s a buzz of optimism about the future of psychedelic healthcare, as
Reference: https://www.redbrick.me/re-imagining-the-future-of-psychedelic-medicine/
Published Date: 2024-11-13